For the past decade we have been visiting a restaurant near to Otto for Christmas Eve dinner. Last year, we decided we needed a serious upgrade, and Otto was the perfect choice. Our waiter was divine, so attentive and thoughtful, made our night even better. And the food was truly excellent, made all the better by our table overlooking the wharf. Honestly, just a perfect experience. We've found our new place. read more

Exceptional food and service at this Sydney institution. A must if you are visiting Sydney - join locals who have kept it going for many years that is a very big accomplishment in the Sydney dining scene that is prone to always look for latest opening rather than support established dining venues. Love Otto and its consistency of excellence! read more

Great dining experience with impeccable views when you catch the sunset. We loved the Gnocco fritto and the dry - aged duck. We'll be back to sample the rest of the menu. read more

We were lucky enough to be given a Red Balloon gift to visit this restaurant. Due to Covid closures it has taken nearly six months to visit. We parked at the Domain as we realised with this voucher we could be at the restaurant for over 3 hours with a degustation. it is a bit of a walk from the parking station but that was the closest and a storm had been predicted. The wharf is just a series of restaurants on the outside. There is a sculpture display and a history of the wharf on the inside plus accommodation. The view is across mooring vessels to the botanical gardens and the city. Our degustation consisted of 6 plates and bread. We opted not to have the paired wine but chose cocktails and mineral water. This worked out well as the plates are small and I think the wine would have become the feature. The price of the wines were the usual eye openers. There were some there for over $1000. Cocktails were $14-$25 and they are listed on the website. We were attended to promptly and when they became packed there was enough staff to keep glasses full and tables cleared. There was also a sommelier and all staff were good for a chat. At the sommelier's suggestion, we did try a glass of Italian wine from the slopes of Etna...goodness knows where on Etna the grapes are grown as it is an active volcano. I liked it but I did drink it between courses. I have uploaded the Red Balloon Degustation menu and the other menus are on their website. All the plates were good. Smoked salmon was quite mild in flavour, Zucchini flowers were beautifully lightly fried, Goolwa pippies were new (and nice) for me, the fish of the day had a really good crunchy skin, the palate cleanser orange granita was nice and the chocolate mousse carte was excellent. We finished with coffee, a cappuccino and a macchiato. Whilst they came with a little bickie, it wasn't an Italian bickie made on almond meal. The coffees were good and we made it to the car before the storm read more

Had dinner at otto the day after boxing day at 830pm on Friday and it was PACKED!!! We sat outside and there were a bunch of heat lamps going if you wanted. This is definitely an upscale italian spot inspired by lots of seafood. We split the beef tartare, scallops, and goats curd to start. The goats curd has honey on it and was served aside thin lavosh - so good. The scallops were super fresh and there was surprisingly a big portion of them. The beef tartare was on 5 individual crunchy crostini, which made them easy to eat. We each got a small order of pasta for our main. Thankfully we went with the small and not the normal portion because we would have been way too stuffed after the appetizers. I got the spaghetti with blue crab, oil, garlic, and breadcrumb. This was such a tasty dish! Loved the crunch of the crumb with the tender crab. My husband got a bolognese and enjoyed it as well. Highly recommend!! read more

I've been here twice on special occasions. Once for a degustation and another just for a main and both times the service was impeccable and the food was delicious. Plant based customers should ask for the vegan menu for more options! read more

Otto Ristorante - Vegan meal - Italian Near Me - Woolloomooloo, NSW

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We had a great dinner here the other night. Started off with a Meet the Clingstones cocktail with bourbon and amaro which was excellent. We also had a bottle of the Balnaves Cab which was very tasty throughout our meal. For starters I got the cured salmon with fennel and then had the fish of the day, which was a barramundi-like white fish. Both were quite tasty and delicious. The service was good and sitting outside on a warm summer evening this is a great spot! read more

We had the set menu with a large group for Melbourne Cup. It was, I believe $165 per head... very pricey, but I looked at the yelp reviews (mostly very positive) and considering the fact that I lived overseas for 10 years and have NEVER made a big deal about Melbourne Cup before, I thought, OK. Let's go big and fancy and la di da. I'm almost never disappointed by fine dining establishments in Sydney, either. So I was excited about trying Otto. This was my thought process/justification. It was just OK. I had a beetroot carpaccio with caviar to start which was nice. I tried my friend's duck pasta dish... man, I would have been pissed if I ordered that. I thought it was lame. It was chewy meat in a cumin-y type sauce? Kind of weird for an Italian place. I don't think cumin is an Italian flavour, is it? I'm of Italian descent, but hardly an expert on every region and their culinary heritage, so what do I know? My main was the king fish. It was tough, dense and nothing to write home about. The dessert was a real standout. A spectacular passionfruit creme brulee. Really dreamy, delicious and just outstanding. We got a glass of champagne with our meal. We all agreed it was awful and a complete dud. Overall, I just can't say it was worth the money whatsoever. I wouldn't be raving about this meal even if it was $60, so to have paid so much more for it, you just leave feeling like a bit of a dummy, like wow... I just got royally rorted, didn't I? If I paid less, it might have got 3 stars at best, but to have paid THAT MUCH and to have been so underwhelmed? You get 2 stars. Also, the service was rushed and we all commented that our waiter wasn't that friendly or attentive. For this price point, attentive is a no brainer. read more

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The best restaurant I've been to for a while! Have seen the negative reviews on here (afterwards) but I went with no expectations and was amazed. The service was outstanding! The waitstaff were attentive. As soon as I sat down and squeezed my bag on my chair (yes, I'm one of those people who dislike putting my bag on the ground), I was offered a mat for my bag straight away!!! Have never seen this elsewhere in Australia before so was pleasantly surprised. Was a bit of a clutz and dropped my fork on the ground only to have a waiter approach me 1 second later to advise me that he would get a clean one. Food was great. Had the degustation and my favourite were the beef capparcio with parmesan and scallops with artichoke broth, which was poured from a tiny saucepan in front of us. The dessert platter had 4 desserts with a chocolate semifreddo, creme brulee with raspberry sorbet, nougat honey mousse with an apricot-lemon sorbet surprise centre, and a custard with apple sorbet. Both the presentation and the taste were great. I usually am not a fan of chocolate desserts because they are way too sweet and rich, but the chocolate semifreddo was neither too sweet or rich or bitter, it was light and balanced for a chocolate dessert. Would definitely come here again and again!!! read more

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10% surcharge on Sundays and 1.5% surcharge for any credit cards. This place was already on the back foot from the get go. I just don't understand how these places already over charge you on food but yeah still insist on these extras. I'd understand more if it was your average mum and dad shop that needed to do thay but they can't really in order to stay competitive. Anyway onto the real review. We ordered the Affetato, Carpaccio and Spaghetti All'Aragosta to share. Affetato looked amazing but was pretty average. Not bad but nothing spectacular. Would've appreciated some bread sticks to accompany it but I guess they do come around offering you bread. The focaccia was amazingly flavoursome but I wouldn't recommend getting it to accompany the meats. Flavour over kill. The Carpaccio was amazing. I would definitely get thay again if I was to ever go back. Just had the right balance of meat to capers to cheese. The Spaghetti was alright but at $95 for the two of us I thought that was a bit much. I would have priced it more around the $75 mark instead. So the peeve of the night was how long it took them to get our bill and then take it back to swipe the credit card. We must've waited over 10mins for them to come back with a receipt to sign. Upon asking a waiter he said there was a hold up cause there was lots of people at the bar but there was hardly anyone at the bar and the restaurant whilst busy was far from full. I guess my 2/5 is also for the table next to me who got 2/3 mains they ordered completely wrong and had to wait for a replacement meal. read more

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For special occasions you need to have a restaurant like this up your sleeve! On Woolamaloo wharf this restaurant is perfectly located. A bit on the pricey side - but trust me it is worth paying that little bit extra for the experience that you are about to have. Personally I think that this is the best restaurant on the wharf. And because of that make sure that you book before you get there, or you might find out that you cannot get a table. All the food here is fantastic! Personally I love the duck. Even though on the smaller side it is great. The specials constantly change and always good. But I have to say the best thing is the shared dessert plate. Make sure you save some space for it, and get ready to argue with your fellow dinners on which one was the best. On the plus side the wine selection is impressive. Not matter what you are in the mood for, they will have the wine to suit the food and the atmosphere that you are looking for. And if you are not sure, the staff will be more than willing to help you with your choice. Overall great place, but for the price, probably left for special occasions read more

Otto Ristorante - The duck! - Italian Near Me - Woolloomooloo, NSW

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I am a world traveller and I think this place is taking the piss. Yes the food was good but not extraordinary. We decided not to have wine with dinner as we could not afford a second mortgage!!! We were asked if we wished to leave a tip, (which we would have done in any case if the server had gone above and beyond). Service was not horrible but not outstanding and I truly resent being guilted into tipping. Overall, this place is pretentious and there are many more Sydney eateries with food just as good if not better, that offer better value for money. read more

Amazing view on Sydney's skyline, very friendly and professional service, delicious food. Prices accordingly. read more

I've been fortunate enough to have been treated to Ottos on a few occasions and I have found my experience to be average. I guess by normal standards the food is good - but Otto's has a reputation for brilliance and if you're expecting that - like me you may be dissapointed. The restaurant is positioned in the middle of Woolloomooloo Wharf. It has a stunning view overlooking the water. Meals are small so I suggest you order a few sides not to go hungry. I had the Swordfish - Pesce Spada In Crosto de finnocchio, carciofe pancette ($42) read as fennel crusted swordfish with zucchini puree salad of globe artichoke, capers, watercress and pancetta.... the meal was good but not outstanding. The price can range anywhere between $25 - $150 for a meal, depending how indulgent you feel like being. It's a great place to take a date and the names impressive - but with how much you're spending on a dish - there are much better places to go. read more

Otto Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Woolloomooloo, NSW

Overall thoughts are that the food was decent, but everything was quite overpriced. You are definitely paying more for the view as it is over the water and overlooks the harbor. But aside from this, there was really nothing spectacular. For the high price for the entrees, the portion was fair but really nothing that was so delicious that I would specifically recommend to someone else. We were seated promptly, but the server was not super attentive nor friendly. One of the entree specials was a branzino for like 40AUD/30USD. When we asked the waitress to describe it, she said it was essentially the whole fish grilled with salt and pepper. No sides, just the fish. Who orders that? For that price? The food was just OK. Nothing inspired or special, just basic food. Baisc overpriced food and mediocre service to accompany it. Perhaps this was a fluke or we ordered the wrong things since others seem to have positive things to say, but we left feeling lukewarm. read more

Otto Ristorante - Strozzapreti - twisted pasta with king prawns, garlic, chili, black olives, tomato, and calamari sauce - Italian Near Me - Woolloomooloo, NSW

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Very nice dinner tonight with bug lobsters lol. They were grilled to perfection and tasted great. This place is so lovely and perfect for dates food is great! read more

Otto Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Woolloomooloo, NSW

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Hmm reviews of Otto's has been mixed however I was keen to try the place due to the name. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed. We were there for our work Xmas lunch so with a big group we had the 3 course set menu. My dining colleagues had the salt and pepper calamari (probably the most average dish they had) whilst I was pleased with my burratina beetroot dish. I had the barramundi for main which was nice (have had better) and dessert - the chocolate mousse (ok). Spatchcock review - one was dry, the other really enjoyed it. The dessert was probably the highlight for everyone. One of my colleagues was told that they don't make macchiato!! Don't think I would go back anytime soon even though the views are stunning. For what you pay, not sure if it's worth it. Pretty disappointed overall. read more

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I've enjoyed the variety of choices at this Italian-themed restaurant, but this time the lunch was not as perfect as expected. There was a prosciutto-wrapped duck special, as well as the menu-sourced duck. The special was lovely, but the course from the menu had my partner questioning the level of done-ness (kitchen said it was as expected). Pity it was too chewy for her; skin too soft and fatty. Tables for two are too small; even one shared appetiser requires a mezzanine rack and shuffling of glasses, etc. The 'Affetato' taster is a wonderful mix of smoked meats - the bread choices are complimentary. They internally source and monitor the production of a 'house' wine, and it is well worth considering if you have no favourites on the wine list. Overall, a nice place in a nice location; just not always a perfect outcome. read more

It isn't often I go to a restaurant that offers moor age for a boat on the menu. Not that I have a boat, but I'm glad to know in case I get the urge to buy one. It can be hard finding really good vegetarian/vegan food at the high-end restaurants. Often even very good restaurants will have just a single vegetarian option. Usually risotto. So it's always nice to find a nice restaurant that has more than one choice of meal. The food itself was very good, although the vegetarian main I got didn't blow me away. But from the reactions of my companions, 2 of whom ordered the Wagyu beef, 1 of whom got lamb, and one who got a whole barramundi, my meal was the only one that didn't. But the five stars comes from the dessert, which was AMAZING. Tiramisu with espresso jelly that was one of the greatest things I've ever eaten. Balsamic figs. And a shared chocolate dessert that had a bit of everything, all of which was fantastic. I would go back just to try the often desserts. Service was good but a little slow at times. The servers were friendly and helpful (one even helped us with a crossword puzzle). Generally they were exceptionally pleasant to deal with, but there were a few times when we had to wait for service. Overall a great experience. read more

Its taken me this long to get around to eating at Otto's. After searching for a long lunch location, we chose here because the menu has a fair few options, the location is great and so is the reputation. Service: The service was probably the highlight and by itself would earn a 4-5 star rating. Our waiter was personable, friendly and remembered our requests and suggested meals and wines to us. He was not snobby when we chose some of the cheaper sparkling wine - cheaper being around $100 The wine list - as with the previous sentence, its expensive, few choices that you would order going 'well I hope this is bloody good'. We aren't cheap when it comes to dining but were surprised at the starting prices. Food - this was 3-4 stars in my opinion, it did taste good, and was presented interestingly, I just wasnt blown away by it. Some of the sides were delicious, as was the chocolate tasting plate our table shared. Its a great location and can be good for a special occasion because the staff can make the day, if you check out the menu and love whats on there, it might even be a five star place for you. read more

Truly Michelin 2 stars restaurant! Super good food, good atmosphere good service! I couldn't tell what's the best recommended here as every food we ordered were just soooo good! Also, the price is quite reasonable read more

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This is an over priced and extremely poor quality restaurant. Recommended by American Express, we had high hopes. The service was confused, with four different service staff who all took limited responsibility for service. Apparently we had to know that one seated us, another served us, another took orders for food and another for wine. None bothered introducing themselves. The food was rather ordinary, we had crab pasta which was relatively tasteless and accompanied with large breadcrumbs that overpowered it. The fish and chips for kids was tiny but $35! The only dish that was any good was the pasta with Berkshire pork. Overall a rather unimpressive meal for $500 for 4. Shame on you Otto and American Express! read more

Stunning view and did not disappoint at all~ We had the best date night. I cannot wait to go back. Great atmosphere too! read more

I've been here a couple of times. First time was as a couple where we could order full a la carte. Second time was with a group so had to choose off a limited selection menu. First time was better. Otto is like like many upscale Italian places in Sydney (not too mention everywhere else for that matter) - high quality small dishes that are pretty innovative against an Italian theme. That means the innovation is pretty predictable and within a pretty tight definition of Italian. But that's not a bad thing - it's all very tasty. Good wine menu. read more

Very nice Italian food. The pastas were top-notch, as were the scallop and snapper entrees. The filetto di manzo main (hazelnut, porcini and truffle crusted eye fillet of Angus beef) was quite good, but I wouldn't recommend the duck. The desserts were solid. read more

I feel bad not giving this place 5 stars. But for the money it really did feel more like a 4 star experience. The location is fantastic on the wharf in the tricky to spell woolloomooloo. You are literally sitting on the wharf which I love. I booked last minute but we managed to get a table on the edge of outside which was great. Very friendly staff and good service. We both had the grilled barramundi but definitely needed sides. I did enjoy it but I'm not sure I would be running back at these prices when there are so many great cheaper places in Sydney. read more

Totally overpriced, food quality wasn't great but service was good and setting was lovely.

It was my first visit to Otto for a few years and if I could I would give the overall event a 7/10. We went for dinner. The service is excellent and very friendly. My wife had two cocktails in the night and she said they strong and tasty so a good suggestion. We skipped entree and we had pork cutlet cooked very well and lamb also cooked well for mains however the potato with thyme and rosemary fell short badly as potato was under cooked. My wife nailed the dessert by ordering a lemon pie which was 10/10 and I had a chocolate ganache with cherries which was very disappointing as was probably the wrong thing to order as was sooo heavy. Not a cheap meal seeing I was not drinking but a special occasion choice. read more

Service was relaxed but very on to it. Brûlée was ridiculously good. Accommodated GF and Vege with ease. Lovely spot for a long lunch on a stunning SYD day. Wine list A+ read more

No doubt Woolloomooloo is a great location for a restaurant. You can comfortably seat at the wharf, observe water, park and people - beautiful scene...unfortunately it is not a greatest culinary scene. When it comes to gastronomy, experience is just OK. Otto has a good menu, bit pricey, but why not? Russell Crowe lives just at the end of the wharf ;-) Service was really good and stuff was really friendly. Both dishes were just OK for our taste. My wife's dish was lacking bit of salt, which may explain why my prawn / calamari pasta was bit over salted. I guess 3 stars out of 5 tells you my story .... read more

The Larder When I was a kid, pop-ups referred to books. Awesome books that would come to life as you flipped through them, somehow defying the laws of physics and making the impossible (3-D from 2-D), possible. Pop-ups are still all the rage, it seems, though today you're more likely to hear about them in reference to theatrical affairs of untested quality but -- more reliably -- extraordinary expense, with a celebrity chef or two usually in tow. See, e.g., the absurd MasterChef dining extravaganza abutting St. Mary's Cathedral in July that came and went with a whimper. The Larder gives pop-ups a much better name, because it offers what most transient dining experiences these days do not -- good quality food at lower (WHAT?!?) prices, not higher ones. Like a good pop-up, it's managed to defy the laws (of market economics) and make the impossible, possible. The Larder's set up as a 3-month operation adjacent to the mainstay Otto Ristorante. On a recent Friday evening, the restaurant was reasonably busy, but only half full, so service was attentive, but not overbearing. The bread basket ($4) came with a fruity olive oil and three pieces of deliciously warm (steaming, in fact, when you tore them apart) bread that were crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, including olive, mini-baguette, and soy/linseed. For my main, I ordered the confit duck leg with pickled mandarins, celery and parsley ($25). The duck meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and cooked beautifully, a simple preparation. The pickled mandarin slices were a real highlight -- too bad there were only 2 of them on the plate. I also ordered two terrific half sides ($9 total) -- the caramelized carrots with corn and the green salad. The salad, composed of mixed greens, radicchio and a citrus vinaigrette, was perfectly dressed and refreshingly light. The carrots were grilled, a preparation I don't often see, which gave them a lovely smoky flavor, but were served cold. I think I would have preferred this side warm, but the taste was spot on. Overall, food was simple, but well-executed. Not much more you can ask for at these prices. Accept that the Larder is more rustic and less formal than its upscale, stuffy cousin, and you won't be disappointed. Things are served in metal buckets, egg crate containers, and newspapers. I liked it -- but wouldn't expect Otto to be the same. Get there before it all shuts down September 27th. M-F, 6-10 pm. BYO. read more

Stunningly good. Creative twists on traditional Italian food. Perfect dishes at every course. A full wine list and still reasonable value - we had the Eloquesta Shiraz petit Verdot and the Margan botrytis and both were great. Stunning views on a clear day. Great atmosphere blends casual dining with fine cuisine. The best beef carpaccio I've had and the Nutella brûlée was out of this world good. read more

Excellent food though and service although it ought to be for the price. Set on the finger wharf at Wooloomooloo, overlooking the harbour it's a lovely place to dine. By far the best of all the restaurants on the wharf. Totally recommend for an intimate dinner, long lunch or business dinner. Affordable for a special treat. $60-100pp read more

Otto is one of the BEST restaurants I have ever eaten at! The service was terrific, very attentive and we never had to pour our own wine! The oysters melted in my mouth, the scallop tartar appetizer tasted like silk and all of our entrees were amazing! So was dessert! I don't think it matters what you get everything was fantastic! The ambiance was good too, right on the water with views of the harbor. I can't wait to go back!!! read more

The Service I've eaten at Otto Ristorante twice and both times the service has been very poor. The waitstaff are not attentive and seem annoyed to be asked for help. It took a while to even receive some table water however in one instance the moment i left my seat to go to the bathroom, a member of staff immediately reset my napkin on the table very neatly for me and that was nice. The older woman who works there, i think she is the manager was very passive-aggressive when i made some requests including to change tables due to noise and a cushion for the uncomfortable seat. She carried out these requests smiling but still making snide remarks that made me feel uncomfortable about asking. Considering the price you pay for the food, i would expect better service and for the staff to understand that just because you're fake smiling, it doesn't make up for being passively rude and treating the customer as an inconvenience. The Food The food however does compensate somewhat for the poor service. I've tried the Green Pea Soup (it is actually called something else but that's what is is) and that was amazing. If you like peas, its divine; it is so fresh and light and lovely. The soup is poured over some greens in the bowl and you eat them together. It's great. Their side salads are also nice and the black and white pasta is quite novelty. It is pasta that is black on one side by squid ink and regular on the other side. The flavour remains unaffected but it is nice. Overall I would definitely recommend eating at this restaurant if you go for the food. If you're easily annoyed by less than good service then i would avoid as it does become quite annoying and distracts from the fun of the evening. read more

Lovely dinner here on my birthday this year. Excellent service; staff were very accommodating and attentive with the bread basket, much to my boyfriend's delight. When my main was brought out in lieu of my main, the staff were very apologetic and the manager came over before I even had the chance to realise it was the wrong meal. Otto's has a designated vegan menu which was terrific - there multiple options and I was able to order something thoughtful and delicious! I had the carrot infused pasta as a main and the char-grilled celeriac as an entree. Both were a treat. My meat-happy boyfriend was also really impressed with his meal. It was chilly out on the evening but the staff turned on the heat lamps and provided blankets for dinning outdoors. Lovely location on the Woolloomooloo Wharf! Would return. read more

Booked for six on a Saturday night. Our table was not ready when we arrived but was provided after a short wait. The restaurant was busy and the staff were stressed and clearly under trained for the role. Specials where quickly explained but when queried for vegetarian options the waiter vaguely pointed at choices without trying to help. The food was bland, cold and oily. Still a wonderful location but this restaurant is tired and over hyped. If you want to charge this much, you need great food, service and atmosphere. It missed out on all three last night. We won't be back read more

The staff were pretentious and rude, we had a booking made us wait at the reception as table wasn't ready, sent us to the bar no one asked us what we'd like to drink so after 15 minutes waiting thought let's get out of here and went to Manta Ray which was excellent. read more

We didn't understand what the hype was all about. Menu is quite simple, nothing too elaborated and the staff were pretentious and rude. With what we paid, we expected beautiful food but it fell short by a mile read more

Went because we love Italian! Visiting Australia from the states and have had wonderful customer service and great service from all establishments so far! This place is the epitome of slow service and poor management! We were there an hour and still waiting for the main meal! And, the table was dry!!! No water to be had!!!! The waitress asked if we'd like another bottle of pelligrino and we said yes. Well it never came!!! Nor did tap water! We decided to finally leave after the hour with only the appetizer being served! Still waiting on the water and main meal we asked to leave! The manager wanted to charge us for what we had because we said we would pay for our part!! After the long wait and no food, I told him it was inappropriate for us to pay anything and he basically kicked us out!!!!! Bad service and the poor management only confirms the reason to avoid this place! read more